2,556 research outputs found
Effects of lattice distortion and Jahn–Teller coupling on the magnetoresistance of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 and La0.5Ca0.5CoO3 epitaxial films
Studies of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 epitaxial films on substrates with a range of lattice constants reveal two dominant contributions to the occurrence of colossal negative magnetoresistance (CMR) in these manganites: at high temperatures (T → TC, TC being the Curie temperature), the magnetotransport properties are predominantly determined by the conduction of lattice polarons, while at low temperatures (T ≪ TC/, the residual negative magnetoresistance is correlated with the substrate-induced lattice distortion which incurs excess magnetic domain wall scattering. The importance of lattice polaron conduction associated with the presence of Jahn–Teller coupling in the manganites is further verified by comparing the manganites with epitaxial films of another ferromagnetic perovskite, La0.5Ca0.5CoO3. Regardless of the differences in the substrate-induced lattice distortion, the cobaltite films exhibit much smaller negative magnetoresistance, which may be attributed to the absence of Jahn–Teller coupling and the high electron mobility that prevents the formation of lattice polarons. We therefore suggest that lattice polaron conduction associated with the Jahn–Teller coupling is essential for the occurrence of CMR, and that lattice distortion further enhances the CMR effects in the manganites
Heavy fermion fluid in high magnetic fields: an infrared study of CeRuSb
We report a comprehensive infrared magneto-spectroscopy study of
CeRuSb compound revealing quasiparticles with heavy effective mass
m, with a detailed analysis of optical constants in fields up to 17 T. We
find that the applied magnetic field strongly affects the low energy
excitations in the system. In particular, the magnitude of m 70
m (m is the quasiparticle band mass) at 10 K is suppressed by as much
as 25 % at 17 T. This effect is in quantitative agreement with the mean-field
solution of the periodic Anderson model augmented with a Zeeman term
Comorbidities of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura: A Population-Based Study
A person experiencing more than one medical condition may have ambiguous clinical
presentation. ITP is a serious autoimmune disease with little epidemiological evidence on its
burden, risk factors, and comorbidities. Using the United Kingdom
general practice research database, we conducted a 14 years population-based
case control-type study to explore medical conditions more likely to cooccur with
ITP and their temporal relationship in association with ITP. ITP patients were matched
to non-ITP on practice, age, gender, and follow-up period. Potential comorbidities
were represented by patients' medical information at the preferred
term level of the MedDRA international classification. As well as death
(OR = 60.0; 95% CI [4.47–806.0]) and known clinical signs and symptoms
of ITP, ITP is associated with considerable number of medical conditions.
The association between ITP and some of these conditions is apparent both
before and after ITP diagnosis. Specific targeted studies can now be setup to reexamine
observed associations
Accurate Results from Perturbation Theory for Strongly Frustrated Heisenberg Spin Clusters
We investigate the use of perturbation theory in finite sized frustrated spin
systems by calculating the effect of quantum fluctuations on coherent states
derived from the classical ground state. We first calculate the ground and
first excited state wavefunctions as a function of applied field for a 12-site
system and compare with the results of exact diagonalization. We then apply the
technique to a 20-site system with the same three fold site coordination as the
12-site system. Frustration results in asymptotically convergent series for
both systems which are summed with Pad\'e approximants.
We find that at zero magnetic field the different connectivity of the two
systems leads to a triplet first excited state in the 12-site system and a
singlet first excited state in the 20-site system, while the ground state is a
singlet for both. We also show how the analytic structure of the Pad\'e
approximants at evolves in the complex plane at
the values of the applied field where the ground state switches between spin
sectors and how this is connected with the non-trivial dependence of the
number on the strength of quantum fluctuations. We discuss the origin
of this difference in the energy spectra and in the analytic structures. We
also characterize the ground and first excited states according to the values
of the various spin correlation functions.Comment: Final version, accepted for publication in Physical review
Conductance through Quantum Dots Studied by Finite Temperature DMRG
With the Finite temperature Density Matrix Renormalization Group method
(FT-DMRG), we depeloped a method to calculate thermo-dynamical quantities and
the conductance of a quantum dot system. Conductance is written by the local
density of states on the dot. The density of states is calculated with the
numerical analytic continuation from the thermal Green's function which is
obtained directly from the FT-DMRG. Typical Kondo behaviors in the quantum dot
system are observed conveniently by comparing the conductance with the magnetic
and charge susceptibilities: Coulomb oscillation peaks and the unitarity limit.
We discuss advantage of this method compared with others.Comment: 14 pages, 13 fiure
Subtlety of Determining the Critical Exponent of the Spin-1/2 Heisenberg Model with a Spatially Staggered Anisotropy on the Honeycomb Lattice
Puzzled by the indication of a new critical theory for the spin-1/2
Heisenberg model with a spatially staggered anisotropy on the square lattice as
suggested in \cite{Wenzel08}, we study a similar anisotropic spin-1/2
Heisenberg model on the honeycomb lattice. The critical point where the phase
transition occurs due to the dimerization as well as the critical exponent
are analyzed in great detail. Remarkly, using most of the available data
points in conjunction with the expected finite-size scaling ansatz with a
sub-leading correction indeed leads to a consistent with that
calculated in \cite{Wenzel08}. However by using the data with large number of
spins , we obtain which agrees with the most accurate Monte
Carlo O(3) value as well.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures, 1 table, version accepted for publishin
Field-free deterministic ultra fast creation of skyrmions by spin orbit torques
Magnetic skyrmions are currently the most promising option to realize
current-driven magnetic shift registers. A variety of concepts to create
skyrmions were proposed and demonstrated. However, none of the reported
experiments show controlled creation of single skyrmions using integrated
designs. Here, we demonstrate that skyrmions can be generated deterministically
on subnanosecond timescales in magnetic racetracks at artificial or natural
defects using spin orbit torque (SOT) pulses. The mechanism is largely similar
to SOT-induced switching of uniformly magnetized elements, but due to the
effect of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), external fields are not
required. Our observations provide a simple and reliable means for skyrmion
writing that can be readily integrated into racetrack devices
Can intersectionality help with understanding and tackling health inequalities? Perspectives of professional stakeholders
Background
The concept of “intersectionality” is increasingly employed within public health arenas, particularly in North America, and is often heralded as offering great potential to advance health inequalities research and action. Given persistently poor progress towards tackling health inequalities, and recent calls to reframe this agenda in the United Kingdom and Europe, the possible contribution of intersectionality deserves attention. Yet, no existing research has examined professional stakeholder understandings and perspectives on applying intersectionality to this field.
Methods
In this paper we seek to address that gap, drawing upon a consultation survey and face-to-face workshop (n = 23) undertaken in the United Kingdom. The survey included both researchers (n = 53) and policy and practice professionals (n = 20) with varied roles and levels of engagement in research and evaluation. Topics included familiarity with the term and concept “intersectionality”, relevance to health inequalities work, and issues shaping its uptake. Respondents were also asked to comment on two specific policy suggestions: intersectionally targeting and tailoring interventions, and evaluating the intersectional effects of policies. The workshop aims were to share examples of applying intersectionality within health inequalities research and practice; understand the views of research and practice colleagues on potential contributions and challenges; and identify potential ways to promote intersectional approaches.
Results
Findings indicated a generally positive response to the concept and a cautiously optimistic assessment that intersectional approaches could be valuable. However, opinions were mixed and various challenges were raised, especially around whether intersectionality research is necessarily critical and transformative and, accordingly, how it should be operationalized methodologically. Nonetheless, there was general agreement that intersectionality is concerned with diverse inequalities and the systems of power that shape them.
Conclusions
We position intersectionality within the wider context of health inequalities policy and practice, suggesting potential ways forward for the approach in the context of the United Kingdom. The views of policy and practice professionals suggest that intersectionality has far to travel to help counter individualistic narratives and to encourage an approach that is sensitive to subgroup inequalities and the processes that generate them. Examples of promising practice, albeit mostly in North America, suggest that it is possible for intersectionality to gain traction
The Impact of Aging on Brain Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase Activating Polypeptide Pathology and Cognition in Mice and Rhesus Macaques
Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) is associated with Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD), but its age-related effects are unknown. We chose the rhesus macaque due to its closeness to human anatomy and physiology. We examined four variables: aging, cognitive performance, amyloid plaques and PACAP. Delayed nonmatching-to-sample recognition memory scores declined with age and correlated with PACAP levels in the striatum, parietal and temporal lobes. Because amyloid plaques were the only AD pathology in the old rhesus macaque, we further studied human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) transgenic mice. Aging was associated with decreased performance in the Morris Water Maze (MWM). In wild type (WT) C57BL/6 mice, the performance was decreased at age 24-26 month whereas in hAPP transgenic mice, it was decreased as early as 9-12 month. Neuritic plaques in adult hAPP mice clustered in hippocampus and adjacent cortical regions, but did not propagate further into the frontal cortex. Cerebral PACAP protein levels were reduced in hAPP mice compared to age-matched WT mice, but the genetic predisposition dominated cognitive decline. Taken together, these data suggest an association among PACAP levels, aging, cognitive function and amyloid load in nonhuman primates, with both similarities and differences from human AD brains. Our results suggest caution in choosing animal models and in extrapolating data to human AD studies
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